Taster sessions and beginners courses
What should I wear?
The archery range is indoors, but we suggest you wear what you might wear for the temerature outside. We are in an industrial unit, and heating in winter is somewhat limited due to the ventialtion afforded by the building.
Close fitting clothing and layers are best. We will provide an armguard to protect your arm and hold back clothing.
Do I need my own equipment?
No – We will provide you with all the required equipment. The kit required will be selected specifically for you. Do not buy anything before a course.
What facilities are there (loos, refreshements)?
There is a customer toilet, and we also sell hot and cold drinks, chocolate and ice-creams.
Is there a minium age for children?
For children between 3 and 5, we find they just want a few arrows just to try it, so we tend not to offer a taster session at this age. But do ask.
From age 6, they can join a family Taster session. But do let us know as we need to ensure a good ratio of coaches to participants.
Age 8+ we can offer beginners courses with an adult also on the same course. We usually suggest a Taster session before commiting to a course.
Do I need to be physically fit?
You dont need to be fit. Archery is all inclusive – we haven’t met anyone who cannot shoot a bow. It is also suited to those with a disability, including partially sighted. Do contact us if you are not sure.
Obviously we do not allow people to shoot that may have suffered a broken bone or muscle damage recently.
Will there be any physical contact between coach and archer?
We may on occasion require contact during tuition to show you the right way to stand or hold the bow. We will of course ask your permission. With the recent pandemic this is avoided as much as possible, but may be necessary for safety reasons.
If you have any objections to this, then please let the coach know.
I have "done archery before" why do I need to do a course?
There is a lot to learn!
If you have tried archery at an outdoor centre or holiday park, then you are unlikely to have been taught by a coach. These are often operated by instructors that only have a basic knowledge of archery to get you shooting only a few arrows at a short distance.
We will look after you and teach you as much as we can in the short time we are with you be this a taster session or our full course.
Can I do a "crash course" in a weekend?
This is impossible! We have asked people on our courses if they think they could learn what we provide in a day or two, and we always get a resounding NO!
In reality there is a lot to take in and remember on each 2 hour session. Trying to squeeze this in to an 8 hour day would hurt in many ways. We want you to absorb the details we teach you, allow you to sleep-on-it, and start fresh at each session so as to progress in steps.
If I do a "taster" can I then book to pay&play?
The simple ansser is no. A taster session is an opportunity to find out what it is like. You are only provided the basics to get you shooting and you will not be taught anything about equipment or many of the necessary skills as there just isn’t time to do this in a 1 hour session..
If you want to pay & play as an unsupervised archer you must have completed a beginners course or be a member of a local club.
Visiting the Shop
Do I need an appointment?
You only need to book if you are buying a bow. The reason for this is that we want to be sure that there is space on the range to try things out.
If you are after after arrows, or any accessories, then no appoitment is required.
Do we sell arrows "x" long?
Well yes we do, but there is a lot more to buying arrows than wanting them a certain length!
Bring your bow along and we will measure you up and walk you through how we calculate what you need. Arrows are made to measure in both stiffness and length and there are a number of variables to consider. These can often be made while you wait.
Can I buy from you online?
The simple answer is no! We want you to get the right kit to suit you, and this is not something that any shop can do well online, so we want to do this face to face. This ensures that you can touch and/or try it before you buy it which is a necessity for much of the equipment you will be looking for.
This also means that we dont have the overheads associated with an online store and allows us to keep our prices low, and often lower than online!
Can I buy my first bow?
Yes of course – we dont sell any predefined packages as a bow should be bespoke to your needs and style.
We will book you in for 2 hours on the range. This way we can find out your ideal draw weight with various bow limbs. Once we have settled on this, then you can try various risers to find one that fits you best (and is the right colour). After that we will measure you for arrows and walk you through any other extras you may want. This is all usually in-stock.
Can you tune my compound bow?
Yes we can – we have amazing feedback from our compound archers and we are often told that their bow is like new after we have serviced it.
If something needs attention then we can advise you of costs before we start on your bow. If it needs new strings/cables, then we can order these for you too and get them fitted and tuned up. We can usually do this within 7 days.
Do you price match?
Many of our prices are lower than you can see online, but if they aren’t then let us know and we will do our best to match or beat it. Don’t forget that you also have the benefit of our expertise as well as our amazing support once you have bought your kit.
There are a few conditions of course… We know that there are some retailers that dont’t stock everything and may also forget to mention that they may not be in stock at their supplier!